Missoula for Bears

09/08/2026

09/02/2026

Linden Street, Rattlesnake. Today. Has anyone else seen signs of bears? Are our neighbors doing a good job of keeping their home sites clean?

09/01/2026

08/22/2026

It’s Garbage to Us, It’s Dinner for Bears...

Trash is a smelly, concentrated and dependable source of easy, high-calorie meals. That’s why trash is the number one thing that attracts bears to homes and communities and keeps them coming back for more. Post signage in common areas and parking lots to ‘Stash & Latch Your Trash’ and to lock vehicles. Visit the BearWise.org store to order signage.

Follow these tips for homeowners and businesses to help keep people safe and bears wild.

* Always close and latch bear-resistant trash containers (BRCs). Keep containers that are not bear-resistant in a sturdy, locked building or bear-resistant enclosure.

* Put garbage (including any frozen food scraps) and recycling out the morning of pickup, not the night before.

* Never leave trash, food, animal feed or bird seed in a vehicle or open truck bed. Clean truck beds often.

* Never store trash on or under decks, porches or balconies. Screens don’t keep out bears.

* Rinse out cans, bottles and other recycling to reduce odors.

* Clean trash containers often. Avoid fruit-scented cleaners.

Read our latest article for more ways to “Keep Bears Out” at: bearwise.org/keep-bears-out



Thanks for doing your part to keep bears wild.

Learn About Bears: BearWise.org

08/11/2026

Place responsibility where it belongs. Humans are the problem and the solution.

08/10/2026

Electric fencing works.

08/10/2026

Do you feed pets outdoors? Pet food is a super-concentrated source of protein, fat, nutrients and calories. That’s why pet food is super-attractive to bears. Pet food is one of the top 3 things that attract bears to neighborhoods and homes. Emptying a bowl of pet food or getting their paws on a whole bag teaches bears that calories are a lot faster and easier to come by around homes and in neighborhoods than out in the woods.

A bear’s daily calorie needs quadruple in late summer and early fall. A 250-pound bear that needs about 3,000 to 3,500 calories a day in summer must consume 15,000 to 20,000 calories or more each day in the fall to gain enough weight to safely hibernate for the winter.

Bears have incredibly sensitive noses, so even an empty food bowl can attract a hungry bear. Bears are also very smart and quick learners, so you can be sure that after it licks the bowl clean, it will visit other homes in your neighborhood looking for more easy pickings and come back to your place looking for more. You can help keep pets, people and bears safe by learning more.

Read 8 Tips for Protecting Pets (and People) in Bear Country: bearwise.org/do-you-feed-your-pets-outdoors

BearSafety

08/06/2026

This year’s short winter and minimal berry production means more of Montana’s bears are getting into trouble while looking for food anywhere they can get it.

08/06/2026

This update covers information through the month of June through July 2026.Contact information, FWP Region 2 (R2) Bear Team: [email protected], 406-542-5500. TIPS FOR PREVENTING Conflicts with Bears and Mountain Lions Please secure all garbage and be diligent at containing any attractants....